The present invention pertains generally to portable watchbands for wristwatches and more particularly, to watchbands comprised of similarly-shaped metal segments connected together in a mesh or chain configuration.
Conventional watchbands of this general type comprise a succession of connected-together metal segments each formed of a solid metal rod bent into the desired shape. The solid metal rods usually have a helical shape and are connected together such that the coils of one rod partly overlie the coils of adjoining rods.
The bending of the solid metal rod into a helical configuration is a time-consuming operation which, depending of the material, requires considerable skill and know-how. Metal watchbands in use today are usually comprised of solid metal rods formed of a noble metal, such as 18 karat or 14 karat gold alloy or a platinum alloy, a copper alloy and stainless steel. Due to the inherent nature of these materials, it is necessary to subject the solid metal rod to an annealing treatment in order to enable bending of the rod into the desired helical shape. The annealing also facilitates pressing or flattening of the band structure into a flat shape.
One drawback of the prior art metal watchbands is that because of the use of solid metal rods, the material cost is necessarily high. This is particularly disadvantageous when the band is formed of a noble metal alloy in view of the high cost of the noble metals. In addition, the use of solid metal rods increases the overall weight of the watchbands and this is particularly disadvantageous in the case of ultra-thin watches. Moreover, the use of solid metal rods increases production costs as the rods require annealing in order to permit cold working of the metal rods into the desired helical shape.